Common service centers to work as payment gateway

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted in-principle license to common service centers (CSCs), operating across rural India, to operate as Bharat Bill Payment System Operating Units (BBPOUs) under the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), an authorised payment system by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), said union telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday.

BBPS will work as an integrated bill payment system, offering inter-operable and accessible bill payment services to customers through a network of agents, enabling multiple payment modes, and providing instant confirmation of receipt of payment.

The license would allow more than 1.6 lakh CSCs, government service delivery points, to become a common payment gateway where villagers can pay their utility bills including electricity, water and phone. Payment mode varies from cash to electronic system like net banking, debit or credit card.

CSCs, a part of Digital India mission, are being operated by village-level-entrepreneurs (VLEs). At present, they offer government-to-citizen services to villagers digitally, including PAN card services, Aadhaar services and election services, and also offer mobile recharging facilities.

These centres also work as an information point where villagers can visit and know about government schemes available on internet.

There are total 1, 66, 671 functional CSCs across India, as of May 2016.

The minister said that facility at BBPOUs can be extended for collection of university fee, mutual funds, and insurance premium. The license may take three months to become operational as it requires integration with NPCI, a press release from government stated.

In October 2015, RBI invited applications from entities operating in payment of bills and desirous of operating as Bharat Bill Payment System Operating Units (BBPOUs) under the Bharat Bill Payment System.

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